After only two races into the Formula 1 season, Liam Lawson’s days may be numbered with Oracle Red Bull Racing.
Following a 12th-place finish in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, the 23-year-old racer’s name has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
According to a report from Motorsport.com, Oracle Red Bull Racing and its younger, feeder team of Racing Bulls have been in discussion about swapping Lawson for Yuki Tsunoda as soon as the series’ next race, the Japanese Grand Prix.
That report precedes a forgettable start for the young Kiwi driver, who failed to finish last week’s Australian Grand Prix and hasn’t qualified better than 18th (Australia).
“It was pretty tough out there, starting from the pit lane we tried something different, and it was a gamble to try and figure out the set-up of the car,” Lawson said. “We tried to do something aggressive, and it didn’t really work, it was quite a big step but we struggled with pace, and the car felt more tricky than Melbourne.
“Our pace in the Sprint yesterday was better. It is not something you can put into words, it is a very small window with this car and if you miss it, it is very penalizing. The more we drive, the more we try stuff and learn from it, unfortunately it didn’t go in the right direction today.
“I just need to drive this car faster,” Lawson continued. “It’s nothing to do with external pressure, the team have been extremely supportive. It is a unique track here, but we will reflect and learn from it going forward.”
Tsunoda’s results have been slightly better this year as he finished 12th last week and 16th on Sunday after an issue derailed a potential top 10 effort.
Tsunoda’s nine top-10 finishes in the 24-race season last year blew Lawson’s performances out of the water as teammates with Lawson only scoring two top 10s in the final six races as he took over for Daniel Ricciardo in the latter part of 2024.
